2020 Open Call - A Virtual Success

Manufacturers, retailers, and customers are changing at a dizzying rate in 2020. Adapting to the new normal and finding innovative ways to succeed is a way of life.

And Open Call 2020 was no different. Walmart quickly transitioned from a physical event planned for June to a fully virtual event in October - on a supersize scale. And 4,800+ entrepreneurs from all across the U.S. shared their interest in being a part of the effort to grow U.S. jobs and increase U.S. manufacturing. This year, businesses representing 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Australia and Mozambique applied for the chance to pitch their new and innovative U.S. sourced products to a Walmart merchant, a 44% increase from last year.

Everyone who completed the application process was invited to apply to "get online" and 850 were selected for in-person virtual pitches. Product pitches were held in what felt like a virtual stampede during non-stop, 30-minute, one-on-one meetings that continued all day with Walmart and Sam’s Club merchants. More than 175 suppliers received an on-the-spot “yes,” advancing them one step closer toward the goal of landing on store and club shelves.

The General Session is available to view here:

A commitment to American jobs

In March of 2021, Walmart announced a $350 billion investment in the future of U.S. Manufacturing that will support more than 750,000 new American jobs.¹

With this new 10-year goal, Walmart is strengthening its commitment to American jobs and communities and providing more value to our customers. But the impact goes beyond the additional spend on items that are made, grown or assembled in the United States.

_{¹Per Boston Consulting Group using data from the Economic Policy Institute and Bureau of Labor statistics.}